Replies

1. 
   FrankB89 | Sep 09, 2002 07:49pm | #1

   Hilti

    

   
   

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   Edited 9/9/2002 12:50:36 PM ET by Notchman

1. 
   BillHg | Sep 09, 2002 08:25pm | #2

   Can I ask for a few details?  What are you fastening? 2x wood, insulation, jct boxes? etc. and to what surface.. concrete, light steel, I-beams or?  How long a fastener are you using? Shooting nails, studs or?  Not wishing to be a pest but the Hilti web site showed lots of tools without my knowing which tool was appropriate for what job.  I do not want to buy the wrong tool.  Thanks, Bill

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Sep 09, 2002 09:41pm | #3

   Remington for the amount of power fastening we do.. if I were doing production i would get a Hilti. multi-shot... but the fastening is the same.. get the right length stud and the right power load.... and dere u go...Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   PhillGiles | Sep 10, 2002 07:34pm | #9

   Remington too. I have the bottom of the line single-shot pipe. It was cheap to buy and the supplies are easy to find (however, I've noticed that the higher powered loads seem to have become very rare)

   You have to store the loads in a sealed, dry container or they will start losing power quickly. I also found that I had better results using a really heavy hammer - the inertia counteracts the recoil and on hard materials this will mean that you'll have far fewer half-driven pins. It's a "gun" and it needs to be cleaned like one..

   Phill Giles

   The Unionville Woodwright

   Unionville, Ontario

1. 
   r_ignacki | Sep 10, 2002 11:54pm | #10

   hilti

   give 'em an address they'll send the stuff out ups, next day.no turn left unstoned  

2. 
   markjrogers | Sep 10, 2002 02:56am | #4

   Hilti, ..makes several types of  PAT.... They are also able to service and repair the tools they sell.... you might want to contact the local rep for free demonstrations ... and review their alternate fastening systems,..i.e.  epoxy, anchors, Screw guns.....   Mark

1. 
   JeffBuck | Sep 10, 2002 03:30am | #5

   I'm with Mike...remington...for the amout of time a year I have to use it.

   Until very recently......Hilti was hard to find around here.....as in not every store on every corner carried it. Went with Remington as most all local hardware stores, sears, hd and lowes all carried thei products.

   I got the single load, trigger fire model......nice for overhead work. Mine would shoot a 2x onto that 1/4 no problem. Jeff.......Sometimes on the toll road of life.....a handful of change is good.......

2. 
   calvin | Sep 10, 2002 03:35am | #6

   I've had my Hilti sales rep for over 15 years.  He's a gem at " in the field " service and minor repair.  The gun I've had since '73.  It's a workhorse single shot that does all it's asked of.  I've still got the hammer drill they threw in with the deal. Currently I'm using a smaller stripload (circa late 80's) that's a bit quicker.  Their prices aren't cheap, but my rep always sweetens the deal when there's no company special.  Get a good rep.__________________________________________

   Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

   http://www.quittintime.com/

    

1. 
   Davo304 | Sep 10, 2002 09:17am | #7

   I own a Hilti DX 451. This gun is an old model, single shot, but works great. I shoot a Hilti pin # 52 when shooting a 2x into a steel beam. I shoot a #57 or #62 when shooting into concrete. This gun uses colored strip shots (27 cal.). It has a built-in silencer, and  an adjustment dial whereby I can dial down or up the strength of the actual shot load being fired. When shooting into steel, you want the pin (nail) to be just  long enough to peirce through the steel, but not much more. When shooting into concrete, you want the pin to be almost twice as long as the thickness of the wood you are nailing down.

   The Hilti DXA40 and DXA41 are multi shot guns...10 shots and 10 pins loaded in a seperate magazine...really fast. Magazine can be pulled off and gun shoots in a single shot mode, but who wants to do that?

   As for your needs, go to a Fastenal Supply distributor. They sell the Ramset PAT. They have a single shot model that would most likely work just fine for meeting your needs. If you're gonna be needing one all the time, I would then definately opt for a Hilti.

   For the record, used my gun the other day on a basement framing remodel. Had to shoot approx 15 shots into a steel beam. Was 15 for 15...no "double shots" needed. Hilti really works well.  BUT, you do have to occaisionally clean them properly ( just like a regular rifle or pistol) else your PAT will loose its piston  driving power.

   Davo

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Sep 10, 2002 11:29am | #8

   Many years ago I worked with a man who was a Navy diver/welder in WW2. In an old ammo can he had what he claimed to be one of the original powder actuated guns. He claimed to have been one of the divers originally selected to prove the design. According to him the device was first used to provide emergency or temporary fastening of 1/2" steel plates underwater.

   The gun was much more massive than the modern version and fired what looks like a .45 caliber shell driving a 1/4" steel pin about 2" long through 2- 1/2" plates. He didn't fire it for me, we didn't have anything likely to stop the pin, but claimed that it worked well underwater. He said that it kind of "rung" the hard hat diving helmet when fired. Once a plate was pinned into position it was welded so that the water could be pumped out of the hull.

   I tried to buy it and the 50 or 60 rounds for it. He didn't want to sell it for "historical" reasons. I figured I could impress the guys at the site by pulling out a real gun. Let them have their .22 or even .25 cal pop guns. They would drop dead from pin driver envy.

   Of course I wouldn't use it unless there was a damaged destroyer to fix. Not much call for that sort of power. Still just having it would be.... inspirational.

   I have used both Hilti and Remington guns. I don't remember models but I did like the ones using strips of loads as they made firing lots of pin quicker. On small jobs with only a few pins to drive the manual ones worked fine. I have noticed that lots of carpenters have gone to, I don't know much about them, hardened 'T' nail drivers operating on compressed air. The carpenters claim they are just as good and lots faster for bottom plates that are only loaded in shear. I dunno.

1. 
   Davo304 | Sep 12, 2002 08:51am | #12

   That's really a great story. If what the guy told you is true, the PAT's were developed by the Navy to keep their ships from sinking....interesting!

   I once shot a 2x4 to a piece of 3/4 inch steel in our mill....that was scary...wasn't sure what the pin would do. Took 2 shots to sink it. The recoil from the first shot was pretty strong...went all through my arm. Glad I only ever had to do that once.  Now I wish I had that "Big Bertha" 45 cal you were talking about, just to compare the difference. I'm sure from what you said, there is a HUGE difference!

   Thanks for the info.

   Davo

3. 
   andybuildz | Sep 11, 2002 12:20am | #11

   I've had my same Remington gun now for about ten years and have used it pretty often....No problems...Just spray it with wd-40 inside between shots to keep it lubed nice....A lot cheaper then the Rolls Royce Hilti if youre only an occasional user.

   BE well

              Namaste

                           Andy

   It's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM